Web feeding and cutting apparatus



A. B. WALES. WEB FEEDING AND CUTTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION men APR. 28, 1920.

1,398,58 1 Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

ms sires E'ATENT oer-ice.

ALFRED B. WALES, or WHITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB. ToLoRENz UTHER,

. 0F NEWTON, MASSAGHUSETTS.

WEB FEEDING AND GUTTTlVG APPARATUS.

Substitute for application Serial No. 165,119, filed April 28, 19 17. This application filed Serial No. 377,416.

T 0 all-whom itmag concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. WALES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whitman, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Web, Feeding,

and Cutting Apparatus, of which the fol.- lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a web-feeding and cutting apparatus and with regard to certain more specific features thereof to devices for cutting a continuous web into a plurality of predetermined or variable short lengths.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a device of the character mentioned which shall be simple in construction, durable and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object resides in the provision of a rapidly operative and reliably efiicient feeding and gripping means whereby a'tape or web may be presented to a cutter. I

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in various features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified by the construc-.

tion hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be by the following claims. 7

In the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the invention, Figure l is a top plan of a web-feeding and cutting machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a View of the same in side elevation; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the same in end elevation.

Referring now more, particularly to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, there is indicated at 1 a support or standard having a longitudinally extending web 2 and a transversely extendindicated ing web or lug 3. A hub 1 is provided on the web 2 serving as the ournal for a main driving shaft 5.- This shaft carries a rotatable feed element 6 which in the present Specification of Letters Patent.

April 28, 1920.

surface, that the members maybe moved into different relative angular positions and secured therein. The longitudinal web 2 is provided on one side with ashort laterally extending lug 10 in which there is fixed a gripping member 11.

PatentedNov. 29', 1921. i

Secured to the inner side of the web I 3 is a right angled spring strip 12 which serves as a yielding bedfor the tape or web during its passage from the source of supplyto the cutting means whichwill be later described. This spring strip has another function in that it is adapted to cooperate with theretatable, feed element to press the tape-0r web against theknurled or-roughened; surface of the feed roller. And the spring strip has still another function in that it cooperates with the fixed gripper member 11 atcertain times to clamp the tape orlweb in position to be picked up by the feed rollers. Suitable side registers 13 and 14.4 are provided and designed to prevent lateral displacement of the tape or web in the operation of the device.

The cutting mechanism comprises a fixed shear member 15 secured to the web 3 of the support 1 and a movable shear element'or knife 16 pivotally mounted as at 17 to cooperate with the fixed shearelement. 15. Spring means 18 are provided for normally holding the shearing elements angularly spaced and a pin 19 is carried by the egmental feed roller 8, which is fixed to the main driving shaft. This pin in itspath of travel with the feed roller mentioned, actuates a lever 20 pivotally mounted at 21,

which lever bears upon the upper edge of the movable cutter 16; and is designed to move the latter to shear a length of web which hasbeen fed. a

ment takes place the thickness of the tape will cause the spring member 12 to be urged downwardly, increasing the tension opposite the feed element and releasing the engagement of the grippersll and 12. It will therefore be seen that simultaneously with the beginning ofthe feeding period the grip pers will release to permit the tape to be freely moved, and simultaneously with the termination of the feeding period, the grippers arerestored to normal gripping position, thereby holding the tape against either forward or retrograde movement. The period of feeding may be varied substantially to increase or'decrease the length of tape fed, by making a relative adjustment of the two segmental rollers as heretofore described. The actuating pin 19, however, is carried by the particular segment which determines the end of a period of feeding and this pin will therefore operate upon the cam surfaces 25 and 26 to produce a shearing action ator after the end of the feeding period. 7

The different functions of the spring strip 12 should be particularly noted. The fact that, this strip serves as a bed or support for the tape or web in its passage through the machine; the fact that it cooperates with the rotatable feed element to press the tape against the same and the fact that by reason of this last cooperation, it provides an automatic grip and release mechanism for holding the tape between the feed periods, are allof importance.

As many changes might be made in the above construction and as many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter set forth in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7

What I claim is 1. In a device of the character described in combination, a support, a pair of webgrippers, one of said grippers being yieldable to permit feeding of the web, and a web-feeder having a segmental feeding surface arranged to feed the web and to hold said yieldable gripper in an open position 7 so long as said segmental feeding surface is in engagement with said web.

'2. In a devlce of the character described in combination, a support, a pair of web-- grippers, one of said grippers being yieldable to permit feeding of the web, and a web-feeder having a segmental feeding surface adjustable in length arranged to feed the web and to hold said yieldable gripper in an open position so long as said segmental feeding surface is in engagement with thereon, and a yielding member adapted to co-act with said web-feed member to feed a length of web and adapted to co-act with said web-gripper member to grip and re-. lease the web accordingly as the web-feed is inoperative or operative.

In a device of the character described in, combination, a support, a rotatable webfeed member thereon comprising means for varying the length of effective feeding, a fixed web-gripper member thereon, a yielding member adapted to co-act with said webfeed member to feed a length ofweb and adapted to co-act, with said web-gripper member to grip and release the web accordingly as the web-feed is inoperative or operative, a cutter, and means comprising a member carried by the first said means adapted to actuate saidcutter to sever the web when a length has been fed. i

'6. In a device of the character described in combination, a support, apair of webgrippers, one of said grippers being fixed and the other being yieldable to permit feeding of the web, and a rotatable web-feed member comprising a plurality of co-axial segments adjustable relatively into different an gular positions to provide different lengths of feeding surface; said web-feed member being adapted to hold said yieldable gripper in an open position so long assaid feeding surface is in engagement with said web." i

7. In a device of the character described, a support, a rotatable web-feed member thereon comprising a plurality of co-axial segments tClJHSttblG relatively into different angular positions to provide differentlengths of feeding surface, a' fixed web-gripper member, a resilient member adapted to co-act. with said web-feed member length of web and adapted to co-act with said Webgripper member togrip and 'release the web accordingly as the web-feed to feed" a web-feed member adapted to actuate said cutter to sever the web when a length has been fed.

8. In a device of the character described in combination, a support, a rotatable webfeed member thereon, a fixed web-gripper member thereon, a yielding member adapted to co-act with said web-feed member to feed a length of web and adapted to co-act with said web-gripper member to grip and release the web accordingly as the web-feed is inoperative or operative, a cutter and means controlled by the action of said rotatable webfeed member adapted to actuate said cutter to sever the web when a length has been fed.

9. In a device of the character described in combination, a support, a rotatable webfeed member thereon comprising a plurality of segments adjustable relatively into different angular positions to provide diiferent lengths of feeding surface, a fixed webgripper member, a yielding member adapted to co-act with said web-feed member to feed a length of web and adapted to co-act with said web-gripper member to grip and release the web accordingly as the web-feed is inoperative or operative, a cutter and means con-- trolled by the action'of'said rotatable webfeed member adapted to actuate said cutter to sever the web when a length has been fed.

10. In a device of the character described in combination, asupport, a pair of web grippers, one of said grippers being yieldable to permit feeding of the web and a rotatable web-feed element journaled in said support comprising a plurality of axially alined relatively adjustable feeding segments whereby the length of the feed may be varied; said web-feed element being arranged to feed the web and to hold said yield-.

able gripper in an open position so long as said web-feed element is in engagement with said web.

11. In a device of the character described in combination, a rotatable web-feed element having a non-continuous peripheral feeding surface, and a web-gripper member; said member being normally in such close proximity to said web-feed element that the web holds said member in an open position to permit feeding so long as the said feeding surface of said feed-element is in engagement with said web.

12. In a device of the character described in combination, a rotatable web-feed element having a non-continuous peripheral feeding surface and a web-gripper member having a yieldable portion adapted to be thrown into an open position to permit feeding of the web by the feeding surface of said web-feed. element, and to be held in said open position so long as the feeding surface of said webfeed element is in engagement with the web.

13. In a device of the character described, in combination, a fixed gripper, a yieldable gripper normally adapted to cooperate with said fixed gripper to hold a web against feeding and means for feeding the web; said feeding means having a non-continuous feeding surface which is adapted to engage and feed said web and to hold said yieldable gripper in an open position to permit feeding so long as the said feeding surface is in engagement with said web.

14. In a device of the character described, in combination, a fixed gripper, a yieldable gripper normally adapted to cooperate with said fixed gripper to hold a web against feeding and rotatable means for feeding the web; said feeding means having a non-con-' tinuous feeding surface which is adapted to engage and feed said web and to hold said yieldable gripper in an open position to permit feeding so long as the said feeding surface is in engagement with said web.

15. In a device of the character described, in combination, a fixed gripper, a yieldable gripper normally adapted to cooperate with said fixed gripper to hold the web against feeding and serving as a bed for said web, and rotatable means for feeding the web;

said feeding means having a non-continuous feeding surface which is adapted to engage and feed said web and to hold said yieldable gripper in an-open position to permit feeding so long as the said feeding surface is in engagement with said web.

16. In a device of the character described, in combination, a fixedgripper, a yieldable bed, normally adapted to cooperate with said fixed gripper to hold a web against feeding and to serve as a bed for the web, and means for feeding the web; said feeding means having a non-continuous feeding surface adapted to hold said bed in an open position so long as the feeding continues.

17. In a device of the character described, in combination, a fixed gripper, a yieldable gripper normally adapted to cooperate with said fixed gripper to hold a web against feeding and to serve as a bed for the web, and a segmental feed element for feeding the web, said element being arranged in such close proximity to said bed that said bed is held in an open position so long as the web is fed.

18. In a device of the character described, in combination, a fixed gripper member, a yielding bed adapted normally to cooperate with said fixed gripper to hold a web and a non-continuous feed member adapted to be rotated in proximity to said bed to feed the web and to hold said bed in an open position so long as the feeding continues.

19. In a device of the character described, in combination, a support, a web bed comprising a spring strip fixed to said support, a non-continuous feed member adapted to be rotated in proximity to said bed to cooperate therewith to grip and feed a web, and a fixed gripper member adapted to co act with a free end of said spring strip to release the web during the period of feed and grip the same after the feeding period.

20. In a device of the character described, the combination, a support, a segmental feed element journaled therein, a cooperating feed element comprising a resilient member secured to said support on one side of said segmental element, and a gripper member secured at the opposite side of said segmental element, said resilient member extending to cooperate with said gripper member whereby the segmental element in feeding operation may urge the .resilient member to a position of web release and the latter may automatically return to cause gripping or the web at the end of the feed.

21. In a device of the character described, in combination, a rotatable feed element having a segmental feeding surface for intermittently feeding a web, a fixed gripper, a yieldable bed disposed below said feed element and adapted normally to cooperate with said fixed gripper to hold said web between the feeding movements, said bed being so arranged with respect to the feeding surface of said feed element that said surface, while feeding, holds said yieldable bed in an open position permitting it to return to a closed position after said feeding surface has disengaged from said web.

22. In a device of the character described, in combination,-a rotatable feed element for intermittently feeding web, comprising a plurality of relatively angular adjustable fragmental disks having a common axis, a resilient bed disposed below said element and adapted to cooperate therewith to produce the feeding action, cutting means, and means for actuating said cutting means comprising an operating member on one of said disks.

23. In a device of the character described, i

the combination of a rotatable web-feed element having a nonc'ontinuous peripheral feeding surface, and a yieldable web-gripper member over which a web is fed; said member being normally in such close proximity to said web-feed element that the web holds said member in an open position to permit feeding by said web-feed element so long as the said feeding surface of said element is in engagement with said web.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of April, 1920. ALFRED B. ALES. 

